Sword Art Online: Clash of Wills
by My Virtual Sword
Summary: SAO is a prison for one-hundred-thousand people? Fine by me. SAO just got even more realistic because its whack job creator decided to play God? Sounds like something worth telling about later. The ultimate consequence for losing to this game – no, this world – ending in your death? Bring it on. (Most OOC Kirito you will EVER encounter, harem, eventual Kirisuna. Written for fun.)
1. Log 1: Minor Setbacks

Sword Art Online: Clash of Wills

Chapter One: Kirito's Log #1 – Minor Setbacks

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**Author's Note**

**This is a story that I don't have any particular plans for, really. The first chapter is short, it's ill-conceived, makes several characters act completely against their canon personalities, gives Kirito a blatant wish-fulfillment and eventual Mary Sue role, and has so much more that others will consider to be flaws.**

**However, the enjoyment for me in this piece will be mostly because I exploit these flaws with no shame, something most writers would never even think of doing. But that's just it, though; I'm not doing this one for fame. I'm just doing it to have fun and escape the stress that I have going on right now. If you guys like it, too, then I'm glad, as it gives me a sense that I'm at least doing **_**something right.**_

**Still with me? For those of you who are, thanks for sticking with me up until now. Since you've done so, you shall be rewarded with a list of things to expect in this story.**

**One: this one is by **_**far**_** the most important. I'm going to make **_**serious**_** changes to several characters' backgrounds and personalities. I'm adding even more canon characters into the SAO frenzy, with the excuse that it trapped a hundred-thousand people instead of the original ten-thousand.**

**The prime example of this will be our not-so-lovable main character, Kirito. In this story, he will be a snarky, egotistical, complete Mary Sue of a sarcasthole who takes nothing seriously other than his journal entries. I'm taking certain personality traits from the SWEAbridged Kirito, while adding my own changes at the same time.**

**Two: as I said above, Kirito will be a complete Mary Sue, though it won't be as bad at the start. Think: glass cannon build, and you'll have pictured his early stages.**

**Three: the game mechanics have been altered slightly, mostly in terms of weapon choice, weapon mastery, and the delayed acquirement of even the most basic of Sword Skills. You'll see more on that soon enough.**

**Three: this one mostly applies to the immediate future of this story, really. The first four to five chapters will be agonizingly short, but they will all feature different characters as the narrators. These are mainly to set up the personalities and motives of some of the main characters early on, all in the form of journal entries. You'll see why that's such a big thing fairly soon.**

**Four: after the legitimate story starts, action will most likely take a backseat to exploring the characters as they develop over time, with the occasional journal entry thrown in by one of the characters to prove that point. Remember, just because Kirito doesn't take anything seriously, it doesn't mean that the others around him are the same. Some of them may start out paralyzed with fear, or so depressed that they want to commit suicide. This story won't be lighthearted or ridiculous all the time, as some of the characters just don't think that way.**

**And finally, five: if you've read through all this and aren't bothered by it too much, then I'm sure you'll love this story! Enjoy!**

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I suppose I should've been more affected by this. I should've been freaking out, or feeling paralyzed with fear. Or maybe even considering suicide. After the rather draconian proclamation by the God of this virtual world no more than an hour before, no one could blame me for any of those things.

But I'm not like that. Even if death has become a part of the equation, even if the nature of this whole world has been changed by his words and the meaning behind them, it won't stop me from getting exactly what I came here for. I came here to immerse myself in a world other than my own so real, so lifelike, that I could forget about my real life like it was merely a dream.

And, by God, I _will _get my money's worth. With the knowledge that participating in this game's closed beta tests provided me, I won't need to worry about actually dying. All I have to do is adapt to the situation, play it a bit safer for a while until I build up a large level margin between me and everyone and everything else. By then, I'll definitely know enough to play like a badass without risking my life.

Really, the absolute consequence of death upon defeat only adds to the stunning realism of this game, only makes it that much more like real life. That is _perfectly _fine with me; the more realistic, the better the experience.

And not being able to go back to the real world? Well, it's not like I would if I wanted to, or even if I have to; the hospital I was probably just admitted to about fifteen minutes ago will provide adequate medical care while I work on beating this game. In other words, there is a zero percent chance of my death in any circumstance imaginable.

And so, I laid out a mission plan for two whole weeks in no time flat almost immediately after bidding Klein farewell. That's precisely why I'm rushing for «Horunka Village» as I write this little diary that will one day record my greatest achievements; I need to get my ideal starting weapon, and the quest for it is just a few maps ahead of me.

In summation: SAO is a prison for one-hundred-thousand people, myself included? Fine by me. SAO just got even more realistic because its whack job creator decided to play God? Sounds like something worth telling friends about when I get back. The ultimate consequence for losing to this game – no, this _world_ – ending in your death, your avatar and soul's erasure from the real and virtual world forever?

Bring in on.

If you're reading this, then I've probably already cleared the game and retrieved the data for this first ever journal entry from the local memory of my «Nerve Gear». With this entry, you'll definitely find a lot more, each one even more badass than the last.

All detailing the adventures of the kid with the ultimate ego and the power, skill and brains to back it up – in other words, _me_, Kirigaya Kazuto. But my VR buddies called me something else.

Kirito.

_Kirito's Log #1 End_


	2. Log 2: Blowing Off Steam

Sword Art Online: Clash of Wills

Chapter Two: Klein's Log #1: Blowing Off Steam

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**Author's Note**

**I know that chapter one was shorter than the author's not attached to it, but that needed to be done. It won't happen from now on, trust me.**

**I've been switching the contents of this story over from Google Docs to MS Word each day, since I can't use Word on my school-issued Mac. I finished this at about 12:30 PM, and I won't be publishing it until at least three, so I'm going to start on chapter three now. (It's finished now, and I'm working on the fourth and final journal entry chapter for the moment. Hooray!)**

**Before that, get ready for an angry Klein! Enjoy the ride!**

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I can't believe I'm actually using this piece of crap! I know I'm mad, and I know my buds don't like to see me like this, but they didn't have to lock me in an inn until I've calmed down!

It sucks that I have to resort to using the second gift that that bastard Kayaba put in our inventory, the «Journal», just to relieve my stress. I feel like I'm accepting a handout from him. And even worse, what if some system program is reading all of these journal entries from everyone?

Okay, I've got to calm down. I'm just getting plain paranoid right now. Just take deep breaths, then write out my frustrations.

At this point, the anger that jackass made me feel has almost completely drowned out my shock and fear about the consequences this game holds. Just because he was in the beta tests, he thinks he's invincible? Bullshit!

It's all I can think about now. I want to become strong with my friends and show him that teaming up can work out, and also that being from the beta doesn't mean you're superior to everyone else. It's become my top priority to surpass that smug prick – well, top priority aside from keeping my buddies safe.

Seriously, his ego must be bigger than the sun! If he thinks he's so strong, then let's see him beat the floor one boss all by himself! Then again, knowing him, he would probably wait until someone else discovered where it was, then team up with them and beat it by himself just to show off.

Yeah, that's definitely something I could see him doing – wait, why am I actually believing he's _that_ strong?! There must be something wrong with my head for me to think that he could actually take on a floor boss alone, no matter how powerful he gets!

Okay, I've got to calm down. I need to get out there and hunt with my buds so we don't fall too far behind him. He's probably already on some grand quest to get an awesome weapon and level up a lot along the way, and I can't let him get that powerful without at least trying to level the playing field a little.

Hah… okay, I'm calm now. You'd better watch out, man, 'cause I'm coming at you with everything I've got!

By the time this game is over, the name Klein will be way more famous than that wannabe hero, Kirito.

Count on that.

_Klein's Log #1 End_


	3. Log 3: I Need a Savior

Sword Art Online: Clash of Wills

Chapter Three: Sachi's Log #1: I Need a Savior

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**Author's Note**

**And here's chapter three. If you haven't noticed, I'm trying to give different characters different takes on the whole experiences, as well as give them different reactions. The first was cocky as hell, the second was an angry rant about the subject of the cocky one, and this one is going to be an attempt at writing depressing stuff with few words.**

**I don't want to have every character in this story treat the concept of death as a joke. This is why the title is called, "Clashing Wills"; the wills, thoughts, motives, actions and ideals of all the characters will mingle and clash with one another in a way I've never done before.**

**For those of you who are interested in having an impact on the direction that this story takes, I've set up a poll on my profile page that asks for input on the four open slots in Kirito's harem. I put twelve different options in there, and if you want a say, then stop by and leave a vote!**

**Well, on with the story! Get psyched for the incoming real plot, only a few chapters down the road!**

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It's been one week since this nightmare began. Every day, my friends try to get me to go out with them to level up, but I'm just so scared! What if my HP hits zero in my very first battle, and I die, just like that? I wouldn't have even lasted a week.

With my luck, I'd end up receiving a critical hit from some really strong monster that we accidentally found. It would kill me in one shot for sure. I can't… I can't take that.

I'd rather be the one in control of my own life and death. I don't want to leave it to the system; my luck is the worst when it comes to gaming of any kind. I only came here with my friends because they forced me to buy SAO with them. I know they just wanted to help me get out of my shell, but…

I'd rather end it myself by jumping off the edge of the world. But even then, how would I get that far without dying first? There's no way I could make it that far on my own, and my friends wouldn't come with me if they knew that my plan was so bad.

Who am I kidding, anyway? Even if everything went well enough for me to reach the point where I could end it myself, there's no way I could go through with it in the end. I'm just a weak, spineless coward, through and through.

Why did this have to happen?! Why did a game have to become so serious? Why… why can't I just go home? Why do I have to die for real if I lose?

I know… I know I can't live on the money you start out with forever. We'll have to go out and die sooner or later. But… please, everyone, just give me a little more time to build up the courage to face death head-on. I'll never stop fearing death itself, but I can at least try to make it so I don't die in one hit.

So please, everyone. Don't leave me behind just yet. I'll come with you soon.

I, Sachi, won't let you down just yet.

_Sachi's Log #1 End_


	4. Chapter 4: My Own Hands

Sword Art Online: Clash of Wills

Chapter Four: Asuna's Log #1: My Own Hands

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**Author's Note**

**I've had this done for a day or two, but I haven't had a chance to publish until now. Sorry about that.**

**This is the last journal entry for a while. Up next is the true chapter one. I'm going to try to stretch it to at least three-thousand words.**

**As for a particular structure I plan to use on perspective, since I plan on using more perspectives than just Kirito, I think I'll go with something like this: one to three chapters from one character's point of view before switching to the next. That way, I don't focus too long on one character. I want to be able to cover as many people as I can.**

**As a final note before letting you read, I'll tell you all that the poll's still open, and will be until I have four characters with at least five votes. Those four will fill the four remaining slots in Kirito's harem, right behind Asuna and Sachi.**

**Well, enjoy the last journal entry, and look forward to the first real chapter!**

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I don't know why I'm doing this. It's not like anyone else will read this. It's not like it matters. If anything, it could hurt me later on. Who knows what kind of artificial intelligence programs in the system have access to these journal files?

But I suppose that's exactly why I'm writing this in the first place. I want anyone who reads this, whether allowed or not, to know one thing.

I will _not_ lose. Not to a monster, not to a boss, not to this world. Not now, not ever. I won't just sit back and cry while others work to clear the game for me. One week of that has me feeling bad enough.

No, it's time to take the reins of my fate. I won't let myself waste away in an inn. If I die, I'll die in battle, knowing that I've given it everything I got. I won't leave my destiny in the hands of others. I'll grab it with my own two hands, and shape it into one worth having.

I may have landed in this prison by mistake, a simple coincidence, but that doesn't mean a thing. I won't give in, not to anything, not to any_one_. I _will_ beat this game. I'll get back to the real world and give my brother a serious talking to for getting me into this mess.

Until that happens, or I die trying, I will never rest.

For once, Yuuki Asuna will make a difference.

_Asuna's Log #1 End_


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